Warriors

Warriors Takeaways: What We Learned in Familiar 119-104 Loss to Celtics

The losses have mounted for the Warriors throughout a transitional season. 

That trend continued Thursday, as they lost 119-104 to the Celtics. The loss marked their 10th straight road defeat of the season dating back to December. Over the stretch, the Warriors have gone 55 days without a victory in an opposing arena. 

By the end of the night, Boston swept the season series with Golden State for the first time since 2011. In recent weeks, the Warriors have mirrored teams of the early 2000s rather than the standard set over the last five seasons, continuing the adjustment from title contenders to lottery-bound. 

Here are the takeaways from Golden State's fifth consecutive loss:

D-Lo is the barometer

D'Angelo Russell entered Thursday playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging nearly 29 points per game over the last week. He got off to a slow start in Boston, though, making just two of his five first-quarter shot attempts as the Celtics took a seven-point lead. 

As Russell struggled, so too did Golden State's first-half offense. Heading into halftime, the Warriors had converted just seven of their 22 3-point attempts while Boston built an 18-point advantage.

Russell would recover, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, helping Golden State cut into Boston's lead late. Nonetheless, Russell's offensive responsibility was noticeable even as he struggled. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson out of the lineup, Russell needs to provide unworldly play for the Warriors to have a chance. Thursday was the latest example of why. 

New number, same Burks

Alec Burks recently changed his number from eight to 20 to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant. However, his game remained the same. In 24 minutes, he finished with 18 points, four rebounds and three 3-pointers. 

[RELATED: Steph hurt by Kobe's death, offers support to Bryant family]

Burks did most of his damage in the third quarter, scoring seven points, helping the Warriors put a minor dent in Boston's lead. More importantly, he showed why he can be an asset for Golden State in the upcoming trade market. He can get to the rim, has an improving 3-point  shot and can get baskets in a half-court set. 

The Warriors have already been active in trades, fetching a second-round pick for Willie Cauley-Stein. By the Feb. 6 deadline, the team could get more if they trade Burks. 

Omari's in a bad spell

Omari Spellman pleaded and earned more minutes a few weeks back by showing his ability to score and stretch the floor. These days, he's beginning to regress, shooting just 2-of-6 from the field Thursday night and finishing minus-8 over 21 minutes. 

Two weeks ago, Spellman was fielding questions about how his shooting could potentially fit alongside the Splash Brothers. Now, he's struggling to find his shot altogether.

As a second-year player, ebbs and flows are expected for Spellman and the Warriors are committed to his growth. He will surely try to find his shot in the coming games.

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